As the NFL regular season nears its final stretch, the AFC West remains wide open, with three teams vying for the top spot. Empower Field will host a thrilling showdown between the Denver Broncos and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs, who are looking for a win to pull closer to their division rivals.
Andy Reid’s squad currently holds a 5-4 record, making a win imperative to close the gap on their division leaders — their very next opponents. The Chiefs know they have one of their biggest weapons on the field in Mahomes, meaning they’ll rely on the quarterback to deliver an outstanding performance to carry them through the game.
The Broncos know they can’t leave anything to chance if they want to avoid being overwhelmed by their opponent’s quarterback. During a recent press conference, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph made it clear that he knows exactly what needs to be done to contain the rival offense.
“He’s been the best for a long time,” Joseph told the media. “He’s a winner. The plays he can make off-schedule that makes it tough. Obviously, they’re in the huddle and they have a play called, and you can defend that play perfectly, and he can obviously bide time and the second act, that’s where he makes his explosive plays.
“Going against Patrick, obviously, how you rush him is important. How you cover is important. But the second part is, just keep chasing him and keep plastering on the back end, because those plays they’ve made over the years, him and [Travis] Kelce especially, has been hard on defenses. It’s a true challenge.”
In search of improvement
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is focused on reaching his MVP-caliber standard as the team attempts to improve its 5-4 record halfway through the 2025 NFL season. Despite the team’s winning record, Mahomes has acknowledged the need for more consistency.
Through nine games, he has posted solid numbers, throwing for 2,410 yards with a 64.5% completion rate and 15 touchdowns, but his 9 interceptions have raised concerns about uncharacteristic sloppiness.
Mahomes’ current 91.8 Passer Rating is his lowest since 2018, and the star signal-caller knows that his personal play must ascend for the Chiefs to secure their typical first-round bye and make a deep playoff run.
A pivotal match
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into a pivotal AFC West matchup against the Denver Broncos this Sunday, knowing a victory is essential to tighten the divisional race.
With both the Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers currently sitting ahead of them in the standings, a road win in Denver is crucial. Securing the victory would not only bring them closer to the Broncos in the race for the top spot but would also help them gain ground on the Chargers, who hold the tiebreaker advantage over Kansas City. The Chiefs understand that failing to beat their division rivals will make their path to a third-straight division title significantly more difficult.